WAKE UP
by Kasumi Karen
Summary: It s good to dream but once you have accomplished your dreams you should wake up and continue with your life. Set in the future, COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Chapter 1  
**

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**A/N: Hi people I normally don´t write ongoing stories but, I´d like to try it for once.**

**I got inspired by misshappynewyear´s pic. (You can search it on deviantart it´s called Grown Up Zoro and Nami). It doesn´t mean that what´s going on there is going to happen in this story but, well, if you want to picture what the characters in this fic look like check the image.**  
**Thanks everybody I love to read your feedback.**

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_Name: WAKE UP_

_Anime: One Piece  
Rating: T  
Characters: Zoro & Nami_  
_Summary: It´s good to dream, but once you have accomplished your dreams you should wake up and continue with your life._

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"Excuse me sir, Can I use your bathroom?"  
"The bathroom is for customers only" the bartender imposed unaffected by the woman who had entered the filthy tavern.  
"A tea, please" She asked politely and moved to the bathroom  
"tss..." He complained.  
The woman came back from the bathroom and sat by the bar were her tea was. She wasn´t a fan of those types of places but when she had to go, she had to go. She stood quietly sipping her tea analyzing the scene like she always did. No one had recognized her, that was a bit weird but after all she was no longer in the grand line, she was in a little town lost in the East blue. It seemed that people didn´t care too much about pirates.  
It was midday so the tavern was almost empty, just the bartender and her and some guy who seemed to apparently, had fainted on a table after too much drinking.  
"Thanks sir" she finished the tea, gave the owner some money and started to leave the place. But she was distracted by the unconscious man on the table. He had green hair. It was unusual to see people with green hair, she couldn't help but to remember her old nakama.  
She raised an eyebrow. This ´corpse', she could call it like that in its condition, looked like Roronora Zoro. The greatest Swordsman in the world. She was so intrigued she went to the table to wake him up.  
"Don´t do that!" The bartender shouted in terror.  
She moved his head attempting to wake him up "Ronronoa Zoro? Is that you?" He was bigger than the boy she had last saw when they conquered the grand line, but well, that was a couple of years ago. He should be 25 or something, he should look like and adult now.  
The man slowly started to move "I´m not Ron-" He looked at the woman who was waking him up. Those enormous blue eyes.  
"Robin!" He panicked.  
"Hey" She greeted him politely.  
Proved, It was Roronoa Zoro but he was a real mess. He smelled like booze, looked like he hadn´t shaved in months and she couldn´t be so sure about his bathing activity.  
"What?... What are you doing here?" He sat properly in the chair and tried to fix his hair, as much as he could. He barely opened his eyes as he was suffering from a headache product of his hangover.  
"ROBIN! ARE YOU THERE?" Their chat was interrupted by the yell of the cyborg, also a formerly nakama, Franky. Who stormed in the tavern hysterically searching for the raven.  
"I´m here" she called him calmly.  
"THANK GOD" he sighed.  
"I really needed to go to the bathroom and you were in that store..." she smiled softly.  
"I´m sorry I shouldn´t have entered there!" He looked down.  
"It´s ok!" she smiled widely at him.  
Zoro looked at the couple interact. He knew they had a romantic relationship when they were on the crew. He just didn´t expect they still shared it, after all those years. He took special attention to Robin, if he didn´t expect that, then he excpected this less "Robin... your...".  
"YEAH! WE ARE PREGNANT SUPER!" Franky yelled again and made his popular "SUPAR!, SUPAR!"  
Robin giggled.  
Franky returned to his calmed self "ZORO?".  
He sighed "Hey...".  
"What happened?" he asked worried about his friend.  
"With what?" the green haired didn´t understand what he was getting at.  
"You look like a caveman!".  
"Hey! I´ve been training too hard" he felt a little sorry about his looks but, this was a spontaneous meeting.  
"And you are planning on attacking your opponent with your smell?" He joked  
Zoro glared at him.  
"I thought you were the best, who do you want to beat now?" Robin asked him  
"Well..." While he searched for his answer, Franky brought a chair to the table. He sat on it with the archeologist on his lap.  
"I have to continue being the best" He ended flatly.  
"You can´t be the best forever...You know that Zoro, Sooner or later you´ll get old and one of this kid´s will come and beat you up" Franky said rubbing his wife´s tummy.  
"humf.." he groaned as he rolled his eyes.  
"Maybe you should find another dream to accomplish" Robin commented.  
He looked away.  
"Other than beating the record on being without a decent bath" Franky mocked him.  
Robin yawned and stood up "Hey boys I´m going to take a nap at the hotel why don´t you stay here doing some catching up".  
Franky looked at his wife and knew what she meant.  
"Bartender! two colas!" He shouted.  
Zoro rolled his eyes. He didn´t feel like catching up with the eccentric cyborg.  
They stood for a couple of hours chatting about their present lives, mostly Franky doing all the talking.  
"I´m so excited I´m going to be a father"  
"nh"  
"You know being with the person you love It´s the best that´s ever happened to me. And having a child with Robin, It´s... SUPAR!."  
Zoro didn´t know what to say.  
"It´s weird Zoro, you know, that you haven´t found anyone"  
Now he didn´t want to say anything  
"You are a popular, wealthy, handsome guy. Well at least you were before you forget all about our friend the soap" He chuckled.  
He glared at him.  
"Well!" he looked at the time. "Time to get back to my wife!" He stood up.  
Zoro looked at him.  
"It´s great to have someone to warm your bed!"  
Zoro finished his cola.  
"Bye Zoro nice, seeing you" He moved away.  
"Bye Franky send my regards to Robin"  
He was about to leave the place when he turned around and looked at his former nakama "Zoro, It´s good to dream, but once you have accomplished your dreams you should wake up and continue with your life"  
Zoro frowned and saw his friend go.

oooOOOooo flashback oooOOOooo

"WOOOOOWW KAIZOKU-OOOOOOOO!"" Luffy yelled. They were having the biggest party in the grand line, after all, the whole crew had accomplished their dreams.  
Everybody on the ship lifted their glasses to cheer with the captain.  
At the back of the ship the navigator finished her champagne and looked at the sea, even though the sky was calm she looked troubled.  
"Hey" a deep male voice called her.  
She turned around already knowing who it was.  
"You´ve been missing the party" The green haired commented and stood right beside her to contemplate the sea.  
"I was wondering... What, what happens now?" she returned her sight to the sea.  
"What happens tomorrow..." He understood.  
"Sanji is going to back to the Baratie, Ussop to his village..."  
"Everybody is going back..." he interrupted her.  
"I guess I should probably go back to Cocoyashi"  
"That´s probably the best, your sister must be missing you" he sounded kind.  
She turned around to look at him "What are you going to do?"  
He scratched the back of his head "Well... I don´t know"  
She moved forward to hug him. This surprised him a bit, but he soon wrapt his arms around her as well.  
"I´m going to miss you" she looked in to his eyes, tears forming.  
He kissed her, at first it was soft. Like asking permission, but when he felt he was welcomed it turned up passionate and ever ending. They felt as if when the kiss ended they would have to part and continue their own lives alone. So they extended the kiss as long as they could.  
Eventually they had to breathe and they broke the kiss. They stood a couple of seconds staring into each other's eyes.  
"I´ll go to Cocoyashi to visit you some time" He tried to break the nostalgic moment.  
She looked down; somehow she expected other response from him "good".  
"Nami! Zoro! ,Luffy is calling you." Chopper interrupted the them.

oooOOOooo End of Flashback oooOOOooo

"NAMI!"  
"NAMI!"  
"NAMI!" Nojiko called her sister who had collapsed asleep in her kitchen table doing some maps.  
Nami cracked one eye "What´s up"  
"What are you doing sleeping in the kitchen?"  
"Mmm I was working, I have to finish these maps before Sunday" she sounded groggy from the sleep.  
"You should stop working, you don´t need any more money" The blue haired woman nagged her little sister as she removed her cartography items for the table.  
"Hey! Give me that! What do you want me to do then? I´m bored" she tried to stop her but it was useless.  
"Sleep on a bed, eat some food, find a boyfriend" She moved to the kitchen and started to turn on the oven.  
Nami frowned "I sleep on a bed almost every night; I eat when I´m hungry and I would find a boyfriend if there was a decent guy around!" She stirred and started to help her sister.  
"What? I´ve introduced you to hundreds of decent men!" She said getting a bowl from the refrigerator.  
"Who?Aki?... too cocky" the redhead dismissed her offer.  
"And Shun?"  
"No self-esteem"  
"Mils?"  
"poor"  
"Kabi"  
"stupid"  
"Keikiji"  
"too old"  
"Aragami"  
"too young"  
"Sakura"  
"That was a girl!"  
"What do you want me to do! You reject everyone!" she finished serving the table.  
"Well, It´s not my fault if there are no decent guys around" She sat at the table waiting for the oven to cook her food.  
Nojiko sat in front of her "What´s a decent guy for you?"  
"Well... You know a guy with guts, a guy who had accomplished something..."  
"Handsome" Nojiko added  
"That wouldn´t hurt. A guy who is not threatened by an independent woman but also one who is willing to protect her… always"  
"With a hot body"  
"That would be great... and he has to be really masculine" she continued thinking  
"Green hair"  
"Ye- HEY!" she glared at her sister.  
"Why don´t you go and find him"  
"I´m not desperate, and I have things to do here, He said he would come... soo" She moved back to the kitchen to finish her dinner.  
"That´s was years ago Nami! Go find him or move on"  
"I´ve moved on, It´s not like I´m waiting for him or something... I´ve dated hundreds of guys..." She served the plates.  
Nojiko rolled her eyes  
Nami quickly changed the subject to the latest town gossip and the girls enjoyed their dinner chatting about trivial things, after that Nojiko goodbye her sister and went to her home.

oooOOOooo

The navigator finished the dishes and went to her room.  
Before going to sleep she unconsciously stared at the pictures that were on her night table. One was the first wanted poster of herself, she smiled remembering those moments. The other was a big one with the whole crew, what are they doing right now? She wondered not for anyone in particularly. The last one was a pic of Luffy, Ussop and Chopper. She took special attention to that one, but her focus wasn't on the group. Behind the trio hugging you could see, if you were really paying attention, a furious Nami nagging at Zoro who was placing a quick peck on her forehead. She smiled from ear to ear. She remembered the photo episode, the things she had to do to hide it from the crew. The weirder thing was that Sanji took it and he didn´t even realized it. She had to have that photo, Zoro was being so cute. She had to have that to extort him in the future… She still hadn´t done it, she should plan something. Suddenly her smile faded and she sighed "Move on". She turn off the light and went to sleep.

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**Author: Kasumi Karen**

**Beta auther:Aly Pearson**


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

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Nami and Nojiko were drinking some tea, like they did every night after their weekly dinner meeting.  
After Nami´s comeback they had agreed to dine every night, now that Nojiko was married it was a little harder but she tried to do it, at least twice a week. Suddenly they heard the sound of a knock on the door.

"That should be your husband" Nami say suggesting her sister to go and open the door.  
"He is so sweet, I´m sure he is here to bring me an umbrella" She moved to the door.  
"Oh come on you live next door!"  
"It´s raining like hell!" Nojiko opened the door. Her expression changed. Her husband wasn´t the one who had knocked the door.  
"Hello, I´m looking for Nami"  
She examined the guy. He was tall, he was soaking wet from the rain and was wearing a white shirt which clung to his muscular and tanned skin. The thing that called most of her attention was his green hair.  
"You!... NAMI!" She called her sister desperately.  
"What?" She answered worried and went to the door to find the most unexpected visitor.  
"Hey!" Zoro greeted her. He had the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face.  
Nojiko looked at the two of them, who were speechless. "I guess I´ll get going" She moved between the dazzled couple and left the house.  
Nami tried to goodbye her sister but her body wasn´t working."Come on in, It´s raining like hell" She offered.  
"Yeah" he said awkwardly, letting her sistergo and brushing his now longer hair back.  
She guided him to the kitchen and started to prepare some hot tea.  
"So... you grew your hair longer" he tried to make up some conversation.  
She nodded. It was so hard being around him. She had dreamed so much about this moment. "You too"  
"Well... I forgot to get a haircut, it´s not that longer anyway" he looked down a little ashamed.  
"It looks nice. It suites you" She tried not to sound so desperate, but she hadn´t seen him in a while and he was really handsome. She blushed.  
He blushed even redder "Err... You look great"  
"Thanks" she looked down.  
They stood drinking the tea in silence for a couple of uncomfortable minutes.  
"So... what brings the greatest swordsman in the world to my humble home" she tried to break the awkwardness while moving away to get him a towel.  
"Well... I´ve said I´d come to visit you some time" He followed her with his sight.  
She handed him the towel "Yeah...I remember. I was starting to think you weren´t coming".  
He tried to dry his hair with the towel "Mmm..."  
"I can give you a dry t-shirt if you want" she offered him changing the uncomfortable subject.  
"Nah... It´s ok I have to go back to the ship and I´ll probably get wet again"  
"You are leaving already?" she sounded defeated.  
He noticed that. He didn´t want to hurt her "No!... It´s just that it´s late and well, you probably need your sleep. We could get together tomorrow, if you want…"  
She smiled "I do but...You should stay here"  
He looked at her surprised by her offer.  
"I mean, If you don't mind sleeping in the couch" she gulped.  
"I don´t mind" he answered quickly.  
"I´ll get you some dry clothes" she moved to her bedroom.  
Meanwhile Zoro took off his shirt and used the towel to dry himself up.  
A couple of minutes later Nami was back with a t-shirt. "Here" she gave it to him.  
She couldn´t help but to admire his hot chest and abs. He was bigger. She thought he was muscular when he was younger but now he looked so strong. Not bodybuilding strong... let's say, underwear model strong. Even his chest scar seemed smaller. She moved her sight to his right arm. He had almost lost that arm in the final battle with Mihawkeye. He had a huge scar there, but it was now covered with a tattoo, she couldn´t quite say what it was.  
Zoro put the T-shirt on. It was a little tight but, at least it was dry. He wondered how Nami had men clothes in the house. The answer terrified him; maybe she lived with a man. She was a gorgeous girl of course she must have a boyfriend.  
"Are you sure it´s ok for me to sleep here?" he asked trying to know the truth.  
"Yeah, no problem" she smiled again.  
Maybe her boyfriend wasn´t the jealous type, he needed more information."Nice t-shirt" he commented, apparently naively.  
"You like it?"  
"Yeah... I like... the number... 3" He wasn´t good at making things up.  
She giggled "Ok... I´m afraid I don´t have any pants that would fit you..."  
He grinned. She probably lived alone. "Don´t worry I´ll sleep in my boxers" he changed the tone "If you don't mind" he blushed.  
She blushed, she had seen him in boxers hundreds of times, but now everything was awkward. "No, no. It´s ok"  
The two of them sat down again at the table.  
"I´ve seen Franky and Robin. She is pregnant" Zoro commented.  
"Yeah I know I write to Robin every week".  
"They looked really happy" he grinned.  
She nodded "So... What have you been doing?".  
"Well... training...And you?" He skipped the getting extremely drunk part.  
"Mmm... Mikans, maps... you know" She skipped the dating part.  
Uncomfortable silence again.  
"Are you tired? We should go to sleep" The swordsman asked. He didn´t want to be a burden.  
"It´s ok, I had a little nap"  
"Great" he said and tried to make up some conversation quickly. "I´ve missed you a lot".  
She was surprised by his comment "Me... me too, I´m so happy you came"  
He grinned and moved his hand to hold hers. She gripped his hand tighter and moved to look into his eyes.  
They wanted to tell the other so many things but they had so much more things to worry about the consequences, that they just stood there enjoying every little gesture.  
Nami broke the contact and stood up "You look tired"  
"I´m ok" he stood up also and picked up the things from the table.  
"Don´t worry about it!" She tried to stop him but it was useless, the swordsman was determined to do the dishes.  
"You are acting so nice... Wait are you sick Ronronoa Zoro?" she joked and leaned close to him to put her hand on his forehead.  
"I´m doing some chores before you start charging me on sleeping here" he replied  
She giggled.  
He finished the dishes and looked at her "You look different... like an adult. You don´t seem a spoiled brat anymore"  
She lightly punched him on the elbow "Hey! I can´t say the same... You look pretty similar, maybe now even scarier than when you were younger"  
He chuckled "I look scary? I was trying to smile a lot" he said half joking half serious.  
He was being extremely nice, which was making Nami really hard to control herself. "Well I wasn´t including the smile... I thought that was just because you were around a friend".  
"Then it´s true, my smile is just for you" He smirked at her.  
She froze "What´s wrong Zoro are you going to die?" she panicked.  
He started laughing uncontrollably.  
"Hey!" this wasn't funny to Nami, she was really worried now.  
He hugged her inhaling the scent of her hair; he missed so much that tangerine smell. "I´m not dying, I´m just really happy to see you"  
She hugged him back "You better not be joking with me Marimo".  
She enjoyed the hug, she felt so little between his huge arms. His chest was the best pillow she could have ever dreamed of.  
"Hey!" he didn´t care for that nickname.  
He traced her hair; it was so long and wavy now. She really looked like an adult. He was really afraid she wouldn´t be interested in him now. She must had met a million of more alluring men whom she could share a conversation with better then him. Why would she choose a dense swords freak who just searches for any stupid excuse to touch her because he has no idea of what to talk about.  
He was caressing her. He was being so affective to her she couldn´t understand. Maybe he just missed her as he told her before, but why had he taken so long to come back? Maybe something bad was behind it. She hugged him tighter.  
Years ago if they ended up in that position, he wouldn´t had doubted to kiss her, he had nothing to lose if she rejected him. But right now if she did that he would fall apart, she was the only thing that ran into his mind when Franky mentioned the thing about waking up.  
He should analyze the situation and do the things right if he wanted to 'wake up' with Nami from now on.  
"Well, where is the couch?" he broke the hug.  
"Right... it's here" she said a little disappointed and moved to the living room.  
Zoro followed her till they reached the couch, he examined it. It wasn´t a big couch, at least for him. He could have considered going back to his ship to get a better sleep but he wouldn´t miss a chance to be close to her.  
She noticed his stare "It´s too little for you, right?"  
"No no... You haven´t got any bigger one, right?" he scratched the back of his head.  
She shook her head. "Sorry". A part of her was jumping to ask him to share her bed, but she didn´t consider it appropriate at the speed that things were going.  
This had nothing to do with the dreams she had about their meeting. She blushed remembering.  
Zoro meanwhile started to lay down on her couch.  
"Tomorrow we´ll figure out a better way for you to sleep" she looked at him who was trying to find a comfortable position.  
He grinned "Good night Nami and it's great to see you again".  
She kneeled down to gave him a little peck on the forehead "Sweet dreams, see you in the morning"  
He just froze, for a second he thought she was going to kiss him. He sighed. a little disappointed  
She expected he would do something but no. She moved away and went to her room.  
Zoro looked at the ceiling closed his eyes and tried to stop smiling.

* * *

**Author: Kasumi Karen**

**Beta auther:Aly Pearson**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

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Nami woke up. She stretched on her bed. She was in a great mood. She looked at the window it was a beautiful day. She remembered what happened the night before, she still couldn´t believe it. She quickly went to her bathroom, brushed her teeth and went down to the living room to check if it hadn´t been a dream.  
She peeked from the stairs but she couldn´t see the swordsman from there. She slowly moved to the couch to get a better view but he wasn´t there, she pouted.  
Meanwhile the green haired, who had been having some troubles to sleep, returned from the bathroom. At least he could sleep through the night, he thought. His plan was to get back to the couch and try to continue sleeping but he found something better; long creamy legs and a cascadeof read head. "Hey"  
She turned back quickly and smiled at him.  
He was also grinning at the barely dressed navigator. She had the same hot body from years ago, only now she looked fuller, sexier.  
"Good morning, did you sleep well?"she said as she noticed his black boxers and musclar legs.  
He scratched the back of his head and tried to stop staring at her but he kept on blushing. "Yeah"  
She noticed this and raised an eyebrow, an idea popped into her mind.  
"I should go to the boat and get my clothes " he moved away to put on his pants.  
She moved closer, dangerously closer.  
He couldn´t stop staring at her lips, they were so pink and gleaming, they were calling him.  
"NAAAAAAMIIIII TELL ME ALL ABOUT YESTERDAAAAY" Nojiko entered the room yelling."Oh" she stopped as soon as she found the swordsman buttoning his pants in front of her sister "Hey guys"  
Nami just glared at her and Zoro blushed "Hello"  
"I´ll guess I´ll come back later" she started to go away but Zoro interrupted her.  
"It´s ok I´ll go to the boat meanwhile"  
"But..." the red haired complained.  
"Make breakfast meanwhile woman" he imposed. In the same tone he used to talk to her when they were around their nakamas.  
"I´m not your cook Marimo!" she glared at him.  
Nojiko looked at the two of them "What was going on?" she wondered  
He moved away and left the house.  
Nami stood glaring at him.  
"What was that?" she asked worried.  
She turned around widely smiling from ear to ear "He is staying here".  
"What? Tell me everything!... did you ..." she winked at her little sister.  
Her expression saddened "No... Nothing happened".  
"What? I thought you two... were..." Nami had confessed her romantic past with the swordsman.  
"I know, but he is being really weird!" She sat at the table.  
Nojiko joined "How weird?".  
"He is being super sweet... but he won't try to kiss me or anything".  
"Oh Nami come on! He came here, he is going to live with you... Do something!" Nojiko sat in front of her "Where is the girl who could get everything she wanted?... you are getting old!".  
"Hey! It´s not like that.".  
"Then what is it?".  
She looked down sadly. This encounter with the swordsman was like a second chance for the two of them, probably the last one they could get. "I don´t want to mess it up".  
Nojiko smiled. Nami always played tough. She was so cute when she accepted her vulnerability.  
She petted her sister head "It´s going to be alright, he has that look when he stares at you"  
She looked at her smirking "What look?"  
"The same look you have when you see him but without the lust part... you should get laid sis" she joked.  
"HEY! I had sex last... Ok I´ll work on that"  
Nojiko laughed hysterical.

Half hour later, the breakfast was prepared and the girls had almost finished it in their waiting.  
"Hey he is taking his time..."  
"That moron must have gotten lost!" Nami assumed.  
"Go get him, it´s your turn now"  
Nami nodded and stood up but when she was about to reach the door Nojiko yelled "You look too decent..."  
The navigator looked at her "What do you mean?...Ohh right" she went back to her room and quickly changed into her bikini and a mini short. She ran through the door.  
"She is getting old..." Nojiko rolled her eyes.

oooOOOooo 2 hours later oooOOOooo

Nami finally found the swordsman, of course he wasn't in his ship but in the exact opposite side of the island  
"Nami" As soon as he saw her figure he called her worried "Someone stole my boat!"  
She rolled her eyes "Really! I don´t know how you do it... you are in the wrong side of the island, I saw your boat a while ago"  
"What! It can´t be!" He refused as he walked towards the navigator. When he reached her, he took his time to admire her figure wearing her bikini and mini short. He just had to wonder what she looked like with out it.  
She extender her arm offering her hand "Come on, I´ll guide you"  
He accepted her offer and held her hand. Every time they touched they felt like some kind of magnetism, none of them could let go.  
They walked through the shore "Hey you ´ve got a Tattoo?" Nami asked  
"Mmm yeah" He felt uncomfortable about that issue  
She was walking a couple of steps ahead of him, so when she abruptly turned around they almost bump into each other. Of course this didn´t surprise Zoro he had trained for abrupt movements, but they ended in a very close position.  
"Can I see it?"  
They were still holding hands but Zoro´s right hand was on her hip, and his sight fixed on her lips. "Mmm... ok"  
She moved her hands over his arm, softly caressing his skin and pulled the little fabric that cover his arm up. The shirt was tight to his skin so she couldn´t pull it too much, just a little, but she could appreciate a Tattoo that was around his arm in the same place his scar was, it looked like a vine.  
"Nice!" She smiled at him.  
He looked at her completely dazzled.  
"I can´t believe your arm is ok" She looked sadly at the scar and ran her fingers over it.  
"Well... I ... I did everything Chopper told me to do" he said nervous.  
"Why a vine?"  
He doubted a bit in telling her the whole story "I had the tattoo some years ago, I think… months after we left the Sunny. I met a girl who did tattoos, she told me to make a little vine with a lot of ink, that way when my arm grew stronger it would bloom"  
"Mmm so the leaves were little dots first... clever" she traced it again  
"Well" he tried to change de subject.  
"But I can't see any flowers"  
He moved away and continued walking holding her hand "I didn´t want any girlish flower".  
She giggled. She was going to ask about that girl later, she wondered about how she convinced him to do it.  
They continued walking. The waves of the see splashed against their bare feet "What do you want to do later?".  
"Mmm I don´t know...Nap?".  
"What! That´s boring" she complained.  
"Boring? Do you have a better offer?"  
"Yeah! We can go to the city I´ll show you around"  
"That´s a trap to make me go shopping with you... I´d rather nap, I have to recover after sleeping in your couch" he teased her.  
"You are slowly returning to your evil self"  
"That´s my boat!" he said pointing and leaving her.  
She sat on the sand waiting for him.  
A couple of minutes later he came back with some things in his hands. "Do you want to have a picnic? I have some food we could use"  
"Sure" she said gabbing some of the things he was holding and moving next to a palm tree.  
They made sandwiches and ate while chatted about their old adventures. After they´d finished, Zoro sat down against the trunk of the palm. "Nap time"  
"I don´t see why you like it so much" she complained  
"It´s nice to relax sometimes. Find a good place, close your eyes" he did those things while commenting them  
Nami raised an eyebrow "Finding a good place to nap... I got one"  
Zoro felt something against his arm, Nami cuddled with her head on his neck and her chest against his. "I like this one"  
The swordsman felt a blood rush to his head.  
Her right hand traveled from his abs to his left pec.  
"As a good navigator you know where to find the right spot" he wrapped his right arm around her.  
She kissed his neck thanking him for the compliment.  
"Nami..." He sort of moaned.  
"Yes?" she answered breathing against his neck.  
He inhaled her scent and thought about what to tell her "You smell really nice"  
"Thanks" She smiled.  
"You welcome" he said just to say something and closed his eyes.

After a couple of minutes of waiting and discovering that swordsman wasn't moving, the navigator decided to join him in his nap.

* * *

**Author: Kasumi Karen**  
**Beta auther:Aly Pearson**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

* * *

Some hours later Nami opened her eyes, she moved her head up to look at the swordsman who was deeply asleep. She stared at him for a while. He looked so relaxed in his sleep. This always amazed her. It seemed to be like those times were the only ones when you could see Zoro without his angry frown, at least in the past. She hadn´t seen him frowning since he came to Cocoyashi. He had his hair a little longer now and it looked great on him. His face looked more mature and it was extremely handsome. She sighed and decided to wake him up.  
"Zoro" she called him, but he didn´t response.  
"Hey Zoro" She tried again but this time she pinched his nose.  
He mumbled something but he kept on sleeping.  
"ZOROOO!" She screamed and punched him on the head.  
"HEY!" He glared at her rubbing his new bump.  
"I thought you were dead!" she lied.  
"I was breathing!"  
"Oh right I forgot to check that!" she showed him her tongue.  
"I haven´t slept so deeply in a long time!" he commented, they were still cuddled together.  
"I thought you couldn´t sleep with me around" she decided to start bringing the romantic issue in their conversations at least in a subtle way.  
He noticed her staring into his eyes "It wasn´t that I couldn´t. I just didn´t want to"  
She frowned "Why!"  
"Because... If we went to sleep then when we woke up our time together would be over" he looked away.  
"Oh!" she didn´t expect that. She thought he would say something about being tough and not needing to sleep or something naughty about the sex but this, "That´s sweet".  
He hugged her a little tighter.  
"Why are you so sweet Zoro?" Nami asked a little worried.  
"I´m not being sweet, I´m telling you the truth" he commented _matter-of-factly._  
"Why are you telling me the truth now" she insisted.  
He started to let go her embrace and thinking on an answer.  
"Why are you here Zoro? Why are you being so sweet or so true?"  
He stood up and started to pack his things to move to her house "I haven't been ok... lately"  
She was worried "Ok? What do you mean Zoro, what´s wrong?"  
"Nothing is wrong, now everything is pretty good" he smiled and lifted the chest with his belongings "Where is your house?"  
She moved next to him "Follow me" she said a bit disappointed about the sudden change of subject  
He extended his arm waiting for her to hold his hand.  
She smiled; well, she could wait a bit to know what was wrong with him.  
They walked hand in hand towards her house.

Some minutes later they were interrupted "Nami" a local woman called her.  
She turned around "Hi Mrs. Kanamichi" and greeted her.  
Zoro also turned around and looked at the old lady.  
She looked at him to greet him and her eyes grew bigger "OH MY GOD RORONOA ZORO, IS THAT YOU?"  
"Eerr..." He didn´t like his fame when the one who was recognizing him wasn´t anyone who threatened his life.  
"You don´t remember me? I´m Mrs. Kana... You stood in my house years ago when you fought against Arlong... you slept in one of my house´s rooms!" The woman said excited.  
He tried to remember but he had been pretty drunk in that 3 day party. He guessed he should had had his recovering sleep somewhere here in Cocoyashi after the fight, maybe that woman´s house was the place.  
"Yes he is, do you remember Mrs. Kana right Zoro?" Nami elbowed him.  
"Eerr... Yes Mrs. Kana Hello!"  
"My god! This town is full of Celebrities! I can believe all the things you had done for everybody!" The woman was moved.  
"Eer... Well"  
"And you are so big now! You were a kid last time I saw you! Now you are man, AND A REALLY HANSOME ONE!" She smiled at him.  
He just blushed while Nami giggled.  
The woman looked at the two of them holding hands "You too are... Together?"  
Nami looked at Zoro expecting his answer.  
"Yeah we are going to her house" He said, sounding like it was pretty obvious.  
Nami sighed, he didn't get it.  
The woman smiled from ear to ear "That´s great! Nami finally!"  
Zoro raised an eyebrow while Nami glared at the woman angry about the 'finally' part in her statement.  
"Well kids I´ll leave you two to go on, I guess I´ll see you tonight at the wedding!" the woman left the couple.  
"OH THE WEDDING! I've totally forgotten about that!"  
Zoro looked at her "The wedding?"  
"Yes! It is the Mayor´s son wedding tonight. I HAVE to go!" they started to go  
"Oh, well have a good time!"  
"You are coming with me..." she ordered.  
"No way"  
"Zoro, you really think you are going to pay my rent by cleaning a couple of dishes?"  
"I´ll give you all my gold... don´t start extorting me!"  
"I´ve napped with you, now it´s my turn"  
"But that!"  
"Pleeeeaaassseee" she looked at him with a puppy face  
"Ok... ok..." he said shaking his head  
"YAY!" She celebrated  
"You are so evil"  
"Wait I´ll get drunk tonight...That´s going to be evil!" she had a mischievous expression.  
"I´m scared" He sounded like joking but he wasn´t.  
"Oh the greatest swordsman in the world is scared of little old me!" she continued walking.  
"You can´t imagine how much" he said it thinking in how scared he was of being rejected by her.  
She gripped his hand tighter.

oooOOOooo

_Dear Robin_  
_I assume that when you get this letter you will be about to bring another kaizoku to the world, I want to read all about it so answer quickly and please omit all the bloody painful details._  
_I know you´ve been traveling around the world with Franky lately, where have you been going? Anyway, something weird happened tonight. Zoro. He came to my house. He is acting a little weird and he haven´t told me what he wants, yet. I´m a little worried about him, as a nakama. He told me that he had been with you a couple of months ago, weird you haven´t mentioned it in your other letters, not that I would care, I mean I care about him as a nakama. I don´t care about little detail as if you met him a few months ago. I just want to know if he is ok. Did you noticed something weird when you met him?. Was he alone? and also have you met any of the other guys? How are they?. Well, I hope you, Franky and the baby are great._  
_If it´s a boy make him wear pants!_  
_I´m looking forward to your answer._  
_Nami_

The archeologist finished reading the letter with a big grin. At the same time Franky arrived with two colas to the table they were sharing in a fancy cafe on a tropical island.  
"So what does she say?" Franky asked.  
"Zoro went to..." She started to say but her sentence was interrupted abruptly.  
"What?" Franky asked intrigued.  
The raven was frozen for a couple of seconds and then her expression changed for one full of panic.  
"Robin? What´s wrong?" He was concerned.  
"Franky... my water... broke".  
He haven´t seen her so scared in his whole life, not even at the gates of justice "SUPAR!"

oooOOOooo

"Those are all the clothes you have?" Nami yelled looking through his chest belongings.  
"Yep that's all I need" He said relaxed on her couch.  
"You have 3 pants including the one you are wearing, 4 t-shirts, a pair of sandals, swimming trunks and I don´t want to search among your underwear but it doesn´t look more than 5 boxers" she stood up and looked at him.  
"I´m a warrior not a fashion model Nami" he grinned.  
"You are going to be a man that bathes every day here, so you need fresh clothes" She ordered him.  
"What´s your obsession with shopping, woman?"  
"You are not going to the wedding with any of these clothes" She closed the chest.  
He looked at her. Why did I want to see this woman again? he wondered.

- FLASHBACK -

* * *

**Author: Kasumi Karen**  
**Beta auther: Aly Pearson**


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

* * *

- FLASHBACK –

Zoro woke up. He didn´t opened his eyes. Lately he had been waking up in unknown places so he played a little game against himself and tried to find where he was before opening the eyes. The ambient smelled humid. He opened his eyes and saw the bright blue sky and heavy vegetation. He was clearly in some kind of jungle. He looked at his clothes, they were all muddy, torn and covered in blood, as always. He touched his face his beard was a bit longer than he recalled, meaning he had been sleeping or unconscious for a couple of days.  
He had been lost since he left the Mugiwaras. He refused to accept it because you have to have a destination to get lost and he didn´t have one. He just wandered around the world. He didn´t have a clue of what he was going to do now that he was the best swordsman in the world, so he did the only thing he knew, train. Train for a goal he had already achieved, but he did it anyway. He trained till he was exhausted, then he slept or fainted. He couldn´t tell the difference or maybe he didn´t want to, all he knew was that at some point his lights went out. If he was in a town he went to bars and drunk till he fainted, again. He had nowhere to go and he was alone so it was regular for him to wake up after hours or days of unconsciousness. This habit made him stop napping, he didn´t need to regain his energy for a reason. He had a couple of fights but they were so under his level, he got bored.  
He sat. He hated to wake up like that, he hadn´t had a decent sleep in years. He stretched trying to relax his body. He stood up ready to part when something called his attention. His katanas were lying on the floor but one was missing. His Wadou Ichimonji wasn´t at sight. He panicked. He looked around him but there was no sign of it. He quickly grabbed his two other katanas and started too run around the jungle.  
He was desperate, splitting trees in two, knocking down anything that was on his way, searching in the strangest places.  
After hours of randomly running around the island, he found himself in a place he had already been. He didn´t got a moment of directional sense; he just recognized the devastated jungle that was product of his insane search. It was night already and it seemed to be about to rain. He looked at the sky, he didn´t know what to do first: ask god for help or pray for Kuina´s forgiveness. The rain started to pour.  
"Zoro" a female voice called him as soon as the first drop fell on his forehead.  
He turned around and he saw it. Kuina, she was right in front of him. She didn´t look a minute older than the last time he saw her.  
"Zoro? Have you been training... you look... tired" She moved closer.  
He was speechless.  
"Hey! Your arm looks great!"  
He looked at his arm, which was now fully recovered after his fight with Mihawkeye.  
"Nice tattoo" She giggled.  
"Kuina... I" he started to say but she interrupted him.  
"About that Zoro, Where are you?"  
"I´m... I don´t know" He tried to remember but he was so overwhelmed with the whole situation he couldn´t focus.  
"What day is it?" she asked again.  
"It´s... I don´t know"  
"What-"  
This time he interrupted her "I don´t care about that Kuina... those are trivial things anyway"  
She moved even closer "Where is my Wadou Ichimonji, Zoro?"  
His eyes started to water "I... I was just... It has to be here... I should have known if someone took it... I´m going to find it, I´m sorry... I´m sorry" He started to cry.  
The little girl contained him in a hug "Zoro, this is wrong. You can´t be like this, fainting all the time, ignoring where you are, don´t knowing where you are going. Getting yourself lost is making you lose lot of important things"  
He stopped sobbing and looked at her.  
"Zoro I´m really proud of you. You made your dream come true, our dream. That doesn´t mean your life is complete now. Find another goal or retire to have a fun and relaxing time, you deserve it" She smiled at him.  
"... But I lost your katana"  
Kuina continued smiling and looking at him "I´ll give you the lost katana back but you have to promise me that´s the last important thing you are going to lose"  
"I promise" he nodded.  
"Including yourself!" She nagged him.  
He sighed.  
She smiled and started to move away "I wonder what he could get to stop being so lost..." she commented for herself.  
"Kuina" he called her.  
"What about a compass..." She said ironically.  
"Kuina" he stood up.  
"... Some maps" she continued.  
"Kuina" He ran behind her.  
"I know he needs a…" She giggle.  
"KUINA" He tried to stop her grabbing her by the shoulder.  
She turned around still giggling, she looked directly into his eyes "Wake up Zoro!" she said serious.  
"KUINA"  
Zoro opened his eyes, above him the bright blue sky. He seemed to be in a jungle. He was laying on the floor, his clothes muddy, torn and bloody. His right hand gripping tightly his Wadou Ichimonji.

- END OF FLASHBACK –

oooOOOooo

Franky completed the last form and handed it to the nurse.  
"Oh great Mr. Nico, now you can join your wife into her room"  
"Super" The blue haired follow the nurse to the room.  
"It´s your first one Mr.?"  
"Yeah".  
"Oh! It´s going to be amazing! Observing the Miracle of birth! It´s a blessing".  
He just smiled widely and nodded. They arrived at the door and he opened it slowly. "The miracle of birth" He grinned.  
"TAKE THIS FREAKING KID OUT OF ME!" Robin screamed.  
Franky jaw dropped. Doctors were being pinned to the walls by arms that sprouted from the different places of the room.  
"YOU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" She glared at him, she was freaked out. He had never seen her like that.  
The medics looked at him from under her grip begging for his help.  
"WHa? What's wrong Robin?"  
"The kid is not getting out! IT HURTS LIKE HELL! HOW DID YOU CONVICE ME TO DO THIS!"  
He sat next to her "Robin... calm down, everything it´s going to be ok"  
She started to cry "NO! NOTHING IT´S OK, A PERSON IS COMING FROM INSIDE ME! A FREAKING HUMAN BEING!"  
"Yeah! The product of our love, it´s our miracle" He hugged her.  
"Miracle? Why did I let you convince me in to this? I´m not ready to be a mother. I´m going to be a lousy mother... I´m not a lovable person, I´m a daemon, nobody loves me...He is not going to love me!" she cried uncontrollably.  
"I love you"  
But she interrupted him "I´m cold, I don´t show my feelings, I´m a freak with this Akuma no mi power"  
He grinned and kissed her "You are going to be the best mother of the world! As soon as you see him, you´ll know. I already know." He continued looking into her eyes "Lot´s of people love you starting from me, our nakamas and pretty much all the people that really know you because you are an amazing woman." She clung to him hugging him as tight as she could "You are not cold, you don´t need to tell me I love you every time we are together. I just know because you are with me, because you decided to bear my child, I know it just because you stop reading every time you see me next to you." He moved his huge hand to her jaw and gently pushed her to look at him "Don´t be scared everything is going to be alright, and don´t worry about it, he is going to love you with one or a hundred arms because you are his demon-mommy" he smiled showing her his tongue.  
The hands holding the doctors' disappeared and Robin stopped crying "I love you" she sobbed.  
He kissed her "I know" he murmured. He turned around to see the staff of panicked doctors. "Let´s bring my son to the world!" He jumped off the bed.

oooOOOooo A couple of hours later oooOOOooo

"Franky, Robin this is your son" The nurse handed the baby to the exhausted mother.  
Robin held him and looked at her husband.  
"It´s so cute" Franky touched his little fist and started crying "It´s amazing".  
He had dark black hair, his eyes where closed but as soon as he felt his father stroke he opened them. They were huge blue eyes exactly like his mother.  
Robin´s mouth opened in surprise "He looks like me".  
"50%" He said kissing her in the cheek.  
She just smiled widely, thing she wasn´t used to doing. "Amazing" She kissed the little toddler in the forehead.  
Franky hugged the two of them and they lay on the bed together, just being a family.

oooOOOooo

"Come on Zoro! I want to see it!" Nami knocked on the door of the stall the swordsman was trying the clothes she was ordering him to use at the wedding they should attend in a couple of hours.  
"Damn you Woman! This thing doesn´t fit me!" he opened the door. He couldn´t even button the shirt, it was too tight.  
"Lili, honey, could you bring me another one a couple of sizes more?" Nami called the assistant of the shop.  
"More?" The teenage girl joined the navigator admiring the swordsman "Ok"  
Zoro handed the shirt to the girl. Nami looked at her and waited for her to go and find her another but the girl was busy staring at the greenhaired´s chest.  
"Come on Lili we don´t have all day!" The redhead insisted.  
"Oh Yeah" the girl blushed and left them.  
"I hate this, you know it!" he fumed. Somehow she had managed to make him try at list 3 tuxedos and 10 different shirts  
"This is the one! We´ll check the size and we are living" The navigator answered, she couldn´t help but to stare at every muscle in his chest. He was perfect. She couldn´t wait to be held in those arms.  
Zoro noticed her stare at his arm and tried to hide it.  
"ZORO!" She noticed something weird in his tattoo.  
"What?" He tried to hide it even more.  
"That orange in your Tattoo are Mikans?" She moved closer to examine it.  
He blushed "Yeah" he tried to sound as it was an insignificant detail.  
She moved even closer and stared into his eyes "Why do you have Mikans in your Tattoo?"  
He looked away "I´ve told you already. Something had to bloom in my tattoo and I was not going to have flowers"  
That answer didn´t satisfied the navigator "Why not apples? Or grapes? Or lemons?"  
"I like Mikans" he blushed.  
"Why?" at this point they were really close, she was even on her toe tips to look directly into his eyes.  
He gulped "They were the fruits we had on the sunny. They bring me good memories"  
She looked down disappointed "Oh"  
"I also thought that the Mikans were kind of a lucky charm for me" he didn´t want to disappoint her, and he was being honest.  
"Really?" She looked at him interested  
"Yeah. I thought that my fate was going to be better if I had the Mikans around again"  
She raised an eyebrow "From where did you get that idea?"  
"The time Mihawk beat me you weren´t there with the merry and the Mikans… so… I thought that"  
"The Mikans weren't at the ship at that time. We had the trees on the ship after Cocoyashi" She was starting to get where he was going but she wanted to hear it from him.  
"That supports my theory then. At least the one I had" he looked away "but after I left the crew I can´t say that the power of the charm remained on this Mikans" He looked at his tattoo.  
"I agree with you. I don´t think the Mikans were your lucky charm" she smirked.  
"I know. It was something else" He grinned staring at her eyes.  
The girl from the shop interrupted the romantic moment. "Here is the shirt"  
They didn´t take it as a surprise, they were getting used to the interruptions. Zoro went back to the stall.  
"Don't worry Zoro, I think it´s coming back to you. You´ll get lucky in no time" she smirked, proud of her comment.  
Zoro grinned inside the stall.  
"Way to go girl!" Lili cheered for Nami about her openly forward comment  
That´s when Nami realized she hadn´t meant it that way and blushed bright red.

* * *

**Author: Kasumi Karen**  
**Beta auther: Aly Pearson**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

* * *

Nojiko entered her sister´s house. She needed a pair of earrings she had lent Nami a couple of months ago.  
"Nami" She yelled but her scream was stopped as soon as she arrived at the living room and found a shirtless green haired zipping his pants.  
"Hey" he greeted her.  
Nojiko was surprised, by now she thought that Nami would had convinced him on sharing the room but apparently she was wrong. "Hi Zoro I thought that..."  
He put his shirt on and started buttoning it "No problem"  
"I have to ask Nami about some earrings"  
"She is in the shower" he tucked the shirt in his pants.  
"Mmm... Ok. I´ll wait for her, I´m ready anyway..." she said a little uncomfortable. She didn´t know what to do in the meantime.  
He tied his shoes and sat on the couch waiting for Nami.  
"So... Zoro, are you planning on staying for a while?" She tried to make some conversation up.  
"Mmm... Yeah... well, If it's ok with Nami"  
Nojiko raised an eyebrow and thought about a little plan to get some information "You are sleeping in the couch? One of my best friends has a hotel in town; I can talk to her to get you a room with a decent bed". Confess swordsman, she thought with a grin.  
He looked at her worried and tried to find a logic answer to keep staying with Nami even if he had to sleep in that little couch.  
"WHAT?" An angry Nami asked her sister while descending the stairs. In what team was she?, the redhead wondered.  
Zoro stared at her. She looked amazing, so, so beautiful. She wore a black sheath dress. The hem of the strapless cleavage was the detail of color with a very vivid green tone matching her hills and earrings. Her wavy red hair was loose almost reaching the end of her back. "You look gorgeous" he blurted with out thinking.  
She smiled "Thank you! Let me look at you" she replied with a faint blush  
He rose from the couch and put the jacket on. His suit was plain black with a matching shirt.  
"Almost perfect" she said and moved closer to him.  
Nojiko and Zoro looked intrigued as she took something from her hand and moved to put it on him. It was an orange tie that cut abruptly the monochromaticy, she also added a matching handkerchief to his pocket. She then moved away to admire him "There, absolutely handsome".  
The blue haired looked at the two of them "What a coincidence her hair matches your tie and your hair match her cleavage" she said ironically.  
Nami glared at her "No way I haven´t noticed it!" she said in the same tone.  
"Stand by her side!" Nojiko ordered.  
Zoro followed her command as if she was about to take them a picture.  
"You look SO GOOD TOGETHER!"  
Nami and Zoro blushed.  
"Hey why are you taking so long we have to go!" A tall blonde man holding a baby interrupted the trio.  
"Hi honey, Nami has to give me my earrings and we are ready to go"  
"Hi Pauly. They are upstairs" Nami greeted her brother in law.  
Nojiko ran to her sister´s room.  
"Zoro! Is that you? Nojiko told me you were in town!" The blonde moved closer the swordsman.  
Zoro scratched the back of his head trying to remember who it was and looked at Nami for help.  
Nami sighed "This is Pauly... Remember water 7, Iceburg´s friend, the guy with the ropes... He married my sister a year ago and this is their daughter Bellemere" She took the little baby from his arms.  
"Oh Hi!" Zoro looked at him and then at the little girl.  
"I´m so glad you came man!" they shook hands "Nami was starting to get easily irritated. You know, I don´t want to talk about this indecent things but she really needed to get-" But he was interrupted by Nami´s direct punch to his face.  
Luckily for the redhead, Zoro didn´t get it.  
"READY!" Nojiko yelled from the stairs and the group was ready to go.

oooOOOooo

The group arrived at the wedding. When everybody noticed the two Mugiwaras, Nami and Zoro stole the center of attention of the celebration, very much in spite of the swordsman desires.  
After some minutes of greetings the mob let the group seat to enjoy the ceremony.  
Of course enjoy wasn´t the word Zoro would use to describe it. He quietly sat next to the navigator, next to him was Nojiko resting her head on her husband shoulder. Every couple in the room held hands or hugged, apparently it was a very romantic moment. He tried not to look at Nami. She was noticing the same as him. When she heard the phrase "You may kiss the bride" she gulped and blushed. Zoro involuntary looked at her; she was beautiful, intelligent, famous and wealthy. He couldn´t help to wonder if a woman like her would marry a guy like him, who didn´t have anything to offer her. She noticed his stare and returned him a warm smile. He blushed deeply.  
The wedding ceremony finished and everybody went to the party. It was held in a big castle in a mountain next to the shore. It was a huge salon with lots of tables and a big balcony with a great view of the ocean. Everybody in town seemed to be invited. Zoro, Nami, Pauly and Nojiko sat in the same table among a couple of villagers.  
They eat the fancy dinner, the locals asked Zoro about his adventures in the crew. He answered with monosyllables while Nami completed his stories.  
The whole party assumed they were together even though they didn´t show it, neither of the two of them seemed to be very demonstrative.  
"Nami, Could you take care of Bell-chan while Pauly and I go to the dance floor?" Nojiko asked her sister  
"Yep" The redhead held her niece. The little baby was sleeping.  
Everybody was dancing. Nami and Zoro were left alone in the table.  
"Fine wine" The swordsman said finishing his glass.  
"Yeah. The mayor is a pretty wealthy guy with exquisite taste" She said sipping her own.  
"You don´t drink like you used to…" he commented.  
She giggled "I´m in charge of a baby Roronoa, don't try to get me drunk… yet" she winked at him.  
He blushed.  
The baby started crying but she stopped as soon as Nami gave her the bottle of milk. Zoro admired her.  
"Do you want to carry her?".  
"No, no, no way" he tried to stop her but it was useless Nami placed the toddler in his arms. "I don´t know…"  
"Like this" she moved his arms so the baby could be comfortable. Bellemere quickly closed her eyes and continued her sleep.  
Nami stared at her, she was so cute. Zoro couldn´t help to notice she was really close to him, he could smell her perfume. It was nice but not as nice as her natural scent which was mixed with it.  
She turned to face him to congratulate him for his good job. His face was inches away she froze. "G-g-good". She was speechless  
She sat on the chair next to him and continued the stare. She should kiss him right now, to the hell with it if he was being shy.  
"Nami-san!" A masculine voice called her.  
She turned around. Zoro glared at the new comer. It was a guy about his age, he looked rich. He was a little smaller than him, he had long brown hair.  
"Ryo-san! Congratulations on your brother's wedding! This party is incredible!" she greeted him politely  
"I´ve missed the ceremony. I just came to Cocoyashi I was on a business trip. I´m glad you are enjoying it" He gave her a charming smile.  
"This is Zoro! He was my nakama…" She introduced him.  
"Oh yes, I know about him. It´s an honor to meet you Zoro. I´m Ryo" He was about to offer him his hand but as he was carrying the baby he changed his mind.  
"Hello" He grunted.  
"Nami, you´ve got to see the things I brought from my trip. I got a couple of presents for you"  
"Really? Thanks!"  
He grabbed her hand "Let´s go to the dance floor"  
Zoro looked at her.  
"I can´t I have to look after Bellemere" she looked at Zoro.  
But as soon as she said that phrase Nojiko and Pauly returned to the table and her excuse was ruined.  
"Come on! Just one dance!"  
"Ok" She rose from her sit and moved to the dance floor dragged by Ryo but looking at Zoro.  
Nojiko grabbed her daughter from Zoro´s arms but the little baby started to cry. "You like to be in uncle´s Zoro´s arms!" She held the baby "It must be a family thing." she winked at him "Come one Bell-chan. You have to sleep in mommy's arms now"  
"I´m going to get another drink" He rose from his seat and went to the open bar.  
Nami really enjoyed dancing and Ryo was a great dancer, so the ´just one song´ turned into a couple of songs. Finally she realized she had someone more important to be with and decided to go back to the table.  
When she arrived at it Nojiko and Pauly were there but no one else.  
"Where is Zoro?" she asked.  
"I don´t know I thought he was with you" Nojiko answered.  
"Damn!" with his directional sense he could be in the other side of the island by now.  
She looked for him for a couple of minutes. Luckily for her he was at sight, in the balcony against the rail. Apparently, staring at the ocean in deep thought. She moved to him.  
"Missing the ocean?" She asked joining him at the rail.  
He looked at her. The moonlight making her creamy skin glow.  
"I miss it sometimes too" She stared.  
The cold breeze of the sea moved her red hair. "But even if I go back, it´s not the same".  
He was a little surprised, that was what he had been feeling. He moved next to her and stared at the ocean too.  
"You know, I went back to the grand line a month after I came back to Cocoyashi" she told him.  
"Yeah?" He didn´t know that.  
"Yeah. I missed the adventures. I thought It could be the same. I bought a boat and me and Nojiko went to the grand line. We sailed for a couple of months, but it wasn´t the same" she looked so nostalgic he couldn´t stop staring at her. "I felt really sad. I guess that´s growing up"  
He couldn´t quite catch what she meant.  
"You know. Admitting that a phase of our life is over and you have to move on. It´s never going to be the same and you can´t go back" she said sadly.  
That was exactly what he had been feeling "At least you found out that a few months after you left the crew"  
She looked at him "How much did it take you to realize that?"  
"How long has it been since we left Raftel?" he looked full of sorrow.  
She giggled "Well at least you have realized it" she was lost in his eyes.  
"I couldn´t move on Nami. I ´ve been wandering aimlessly around the world since I left the crew. I don´t have a plan, I don´t have a reason to wake up every morning, I don´t know what to do" He looked down.  
He looked so defeated. She had never seen him like that, for the first time in her life she felt like she needed to protect him. She hugged him "Zoro"  
He looked at her "I came here because I always felt good around you"  
She was starting to get what was going on with him. She smiled "And did that change too?" she tried to maintain the sight in his eyes.  
"You are not the same you were. You are a woman now; you have a life here, a business, and projects. And I, I´m the same I was or even worst, I don´t have a dream, I don´t have a plan, I don´t have anything to offer." He looked away  
"I didn´t ask you that" She made him look at her again "Have your feelings about me changed? Because I haven´t stopped thinking of you for a single day since we left Raftel. I just sat in my kitchen hopping you would come back as you promised. And yesterday when I saw you at my door I felt the same as the first time you kissed me… and the same as the last time" She moved forward and pressed her lips against his. He didn´t spend a millisecond wondering if to return the kiss or not. He wanted it so much; he just hugged her tighter and savored her lips. He couldn´t believe how much he had missed her. How right it felt kissing her. She ran her arms around his neck. She felt as if the time had gone back, and she was in the deck of the going merry kissing him, like the first time. The safest place she had ever been was between his arms, there was where she belonged. Their kissing was intense. They felt as if they had to recover those lost years. They broke the kiss to breath, but only for a second. Zoro missed her already and he crushed his lips against her again. After a couple of minutes of kissing and hugging and caressing, their lips parted. Nami was flushed. She looked at him in daze.  
"Nami… I´m sorry"

* * *

**Author: Kasumi Karen**  
**Beta auther: Aly Pearson**


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

* * *

"I´m sorry Nami" He hugged her closer burring her head in his chest.  
She wrapped her arms around him, gripping his back tightly. It was their bodies' reaction to their inner impulse of not breaking apart. "Stupid swordsman"  
He rested his head on top of hers and took a deep breath inhaling her scent.  
"Wandering aimlessly around the world" she repeated his phrase and moved back a little making some space between them to tilt her head and look at him. "You were lost baka" she gave him a light punch on the shoulder and smiled.  
He was depressed remembering those ´lost´ times but somehow her smile cheered him up. He grinned at her and got lost in her eyes again.  
"Nothing that a good navigator can´t fix" she gave him a peck on the lips.  
His hand left her waist for a minute just to caress her face. She looked so beautiful under the moonlight, her warm expression framed by her long red hair. "I should´ve come earlier, I guess I was scared. I am scared" he stared at her a little ashamed.  
Nami melted. Nothing touched her most than when the mighty swordsman opened up. He was so strong and determined; it was so hard seeing him like that. He needed her and she needed him back. "Everything is going to be ok, don´t be scared"  
"You are the only thing that scares me, you have always been" He said grinning a little but he meant that.  
He looked so handsome. His green hair was perfectly brushed back but a few strands hanged down onto his forehead. "I love you Zoro, please don´t leave me again"  
Her request came from the bottom of her heart. He could tell that. She looked as she was about to cry. He kissed her again. He didn´t want to hurt her, he had never meant to do that. He just wanted to be with her. "I´m not going anywhere without you".  
She crushed her lips against his. This was all she wanted. She had dreamed about it before but right now it felt beyond correct, it was perfect. He kissed her back again. It was to cathartic. Every time they touched he felt his doubts and fears purge. Both of them got lost in the kiss enjoying the feeling, their company and wondering why they had taken so long. "Let´s go home" She suggested.  
He nodded dreaming about the second the two of them could be alone.

They escaped the party without being noticed. They walked hand in hand to Nami´s house for a couple of meters, when they were alone again and the sound from the party was low background music they shared another passionate kiss. In their way they found out that their lips couldn´t be apart from for too long as they kissed in every block.  
The last eruption of rapture was in front of Nami´s house. As soon as the navigator turned her back to open the door Zoro hugged her from behind and started kissing her neck lightly. The clicking sound of the key was a blessing for her. At this point if the door didn't open, she wouldn´t had mind to be the attraction of the whole neighborhood.  
Her living room was dark, he couldn´t tell in which part of the house they were. But he didn´t mind, Nami was his navigator she could lead the way. She held his hand and dragged him up to her room.

oooOOOooo

The morning arrived but the two Mugiwaras were too tired to notice it. It was until midday that Nami opened her eyes. Her bedroom window was wide opened; the sunlight bathed the whole room. She smiled remembering the previous night. She turned around to look at her partner, the blanket wrapped around her chest and waist. But the swordsman wasn´t laying next to her, she faced his huge muscular naked back. He was sitting on the edge of the bed staring through the open window. She looked at him, specially his tattoo, before calling his attention.  
"Morning" She purred.  
He slowly turned around to face her. "Morning" He grinned from ear to ear.  
She waited for him to do something but he just stared at her. "You should be sleeping".  
He raised an eyebrow "Me?"  
"You are the lazy one" She showed him her tongue.  
"You need more than that to make me tired" He teased her.  
Now was her turn to raise her eyebrow. "Here" She extended her arm and caught his hand on hers, she pulled him closer. He moved to kiss her but she pushed him down, his head rested on her lap. "Relax".  
She then gave him a quick peck and started caressing his chest.  
The night before had been pure passion till they drifted into sleep, or at least she did. That was what she remembered. Waking up and seeing him sitting away from her made her wonder if he was still uncomfortable around her.  
Zoro relaxed enjoying her massage, specially feeling her nails running through his scalp. He was so calmed, so comfortable. Her left hand rested on his chest as the other one played with his hair. He moved his hand to his chest to hold hers. "So tell me about the rent".  
She grinned "It´s not going to be cheap you know".  
"I imagined that" He said with his eyes closed.  
"But you can afford it" she moved her hand interlacing their fingers.  
"I still have my gold share from the crew, it´s almost intact. I´ll give it all to you but you have to feed me"  
"Mmm… I´ll feed you half of the times" She liked to negotiate even thought that what Zoro was offering was a fortune.  
He chuckled "Deal"  
She gave him another peck but this one was longer. His hand caught her head before retreating and deepened the kiss.  
"Now confess" she said breaking the kiss but still in close contact "About the Tattoo".  
He smirked "I missed you" confessing he did it just for her.  
"I missed you too" She smiled.  
He moved up from her lap and sat next to her. His hand went to her neck, his mouth to kiss her. "I just want to be with you Nami" He kissed her again. "I love you" and again. "So much" and again.  
Nami was the happiest girl in the world by now. "I love you too".  
They make out for a couple of minutes. Zoro stared at her for a couple of seconds. He couldn´t believe that he had taken so long to come to her.  
"What?"  
He was so lucky she was still waiting for him. He kissed her again instead of answering. She wrapped her arms around him. He started kissing her neck.  
"OH!" But it wasn´t a passion 'oh' more of an; I remember something 'oh'.  
He stopped the kissing and looked at her, but she moved away from him. She grabbed a letter from the night table.  
He raised an eyebrow.  
"I forgot to read Robin´s last letter" she said opening the envelope.  
"And you have to read it now?" he had better plans in mind.  
"Come on it´s just a minute, I just want to know if, YEAH!" she said excited while reading.  
"What?" he sat next to her trying to spy on the letter.  
She pressed the letter against her chest "Robin and Franky´s son was born last week!" she said moved.  
"Oh" He said. He was affected but he was speechless in those situations.  
"I think we are all growing up" she smiled.  
He blushed remembering what Franky had told him when they met some months ago about being with the person you love. He was true, all Zoro wanted to do was lay in that bed with Nami sharing her company.  
'He is so cute when he blushes' Nami thought and gave him a quick peck on the lips.  
"I´m not scared of growing up anymore"  
She hugged him. "Good"  
He kissed her passionately.

* * *

THE END

**Author: Kasumi Karen**  
**Beta auther: Aly Pearson**


End file.
